4x400 Relay Flies Into Finals, Boockmeier In Decathlon Contention

From Sports Information Director, May 26, 2016 | Men's Track & Field
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

WAVERLY, Iowa - St. Norbert College's 4x400-meter relay qualified for the finals in the event, while senior Brad Boockmeier is in the hunt for a third All-America honor in the decathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wartburg College's Walston-Hoover Stadium.

The 4x400-meter relay of freshman Jon Gregory, senior Austin Livingston, junior Ryan Grandlic and junior Tyler Lewis turned in a school-record time of 3:11.44 to advance to Saturday's final. The foursome, despite finishing third in their heat, will have the third-best qualifying time heading into the final. UW-La Crosse has the top time at 3:10.50.

The final of the 4x400-meter relay will be run at 4:50 p.m. Saturday. The Green Knights were fourth in the event at last year's outdoor championship.

Meanwhile, Boockmeier totaled 3,457 points after the first five events in the decathlon to sit in ninth place out of 20 competitors and one spot out of All-America status. Boockmeier was an All-American in the event in 2013 and 2015.

Boockmeier opened the decathlon's first day with 755 points in the 100-meter dash, running 11.49 seconds. He then added 626 points with a long jump of 20 feet 3 1/2 inches. Boockmeier then scored 714 points with a shot put heave of 45-2 1/4. Boockmeier added 636 points in the high jump, clearing 5-11 1/4. He finished the day with 726 points in the 400-meter dash, turning in a personal-best time of 51.96 seconds.

The second half of the decathlon will commence at 11 a.m. Friday. Events remaining are the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.

Grandlic is also scheduled to compete Friday in the preliminary heats of the 400-meter run at 4:45 p.m. Should Grandlic qualify for the final that race will start at 2:10 p.m. Saturday.